STEM Scholars Saturday This Weekend at UW

UW Professor Chip Kobulnicky, middle, is one of the organizers of STEM Scholars Saturday this weekend. (UW Photo)

A group of 100 Wyoming youth will descend on the University of Wyoming campus for STEM Scholars Saturday this weekend.

The event is for children interested in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) and is hosted by Science Kitchen, a collaboration between the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium.

STEM Scholars Saturday, funded in part by an “inreach” grant from the College of Arts and Sciences dean’s office, invites students who have previously participated in UW STEM activities back to campus, but also is open to any K-12 students in the state. From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, students will get to participate in three hands-on workshops led by UW faculty, staff and students.

A free pizza lunch will follow, with the option to attend the UW Cowgirls basketball game against Boise State at 2 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. Students participating can enter for free, and a discounted admission price will be offered for family members.

“We want these students to see college as part of their future; we hope they see UW as part of their future,” astronomy Professor Chip Kobulnicky says. “We want them to be able to carry the excitement in STEM that they experienced over the summer into the school year. We want to inspire them to take as many science and engineering and math classes as they can take in their schools.”

Kobulnicky hopes to make STEM Scholars Saturday a yearly event and continue to bring Wyoming students back to show them what the university has to offer in its various fields. For more information, visit www.wyomingspacegrant.org/STEMsat/.